SBS News In Depth

National Science Week is celebrating science and innovation across Australia, with more than 2,000 events taking place around the country - it’s Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology. Alongside the discoveries, some events are also shining a light on the people behind them - from LGBTQIA+ scientists and computer pioneers to First Nations, migrant and female inventors. Advocates say diversity has helped shape science for generations and will be just as important to its future.

Donald Trump is scaling back planned military drills with South Korea which send a “hostile” message to Pyongyang. Is he looking to rekindle his bromance with the North Korean leader? Meanwhile, elections kick off in Israel as settlers continue to surround Palestinian homes in the West Bank. Iran and the US are no closer to reaching a peace deal, and now Trump is threatening his ally Oman. Plus, we look at the terrible animated movie that’s captivating Chinese audiences with its low-budget charms.

In Europe, the Loire, Po, Rhine and Danube rivers have all reached record-low levels in recent weeks, after prolonged hot and dry conditions. While the low water levels are prompting fascinating discoveries for historians as previously submerged artifacts are exposed, scientists say the shrinking rivers are a troubling sign of a deepening global water crisis. And it's not just the northern hemisphere that is impacted- Australian rivers are shrinking, too, and experts say there are dire consequences.

A coalition of 27 organisations are calling on the New South Wales government to urgently establish a stand-alone labour hire licensing scheme. SBS's Haylena Krishnamoorthy speaks to New South Wales Anti-slavery Commissioner, Dr James Cockayne about the proposed scheme that would help protect workers — especially migrant workers — from exploitation, and stop dodgy operators entering the state's labour market.

Hundreds of thousands of people will lose support from the NDIS after changes aimed at limiting growth in the scheme passed the Senate with Coalition support overnight. The changes were opposed by the Greens, some cross-bench MPs, and disability advocates who say the process was rushed, and will cause harm. A key assessment tool underwriting the changes is still being developed, as states and territories prepare to take on greater responsibility for providing support.

A landmark trial in the United States is putting the relationship between children and social media under renewed scrutiny. Twenty-nine US states are taking on Meta, alleging the technology giant designed features on Facebook and Instagram to keep young users engaged, despite risks to their well-being. Meta strongly rejects allegations its platforms were designed to addict or harm children and says it has spent years developing safeguards for younger users. But beyond the legal arguments are families who say their children paid the ultimate price.

Iran and Pakistan have returned 5.2 million Afghan asylum seekers over the past year. Now, as Afghanistan marks five years under Taliban rule, Australia says Pakistan's deportation push is impeding its ability to process refugee applications. Deportation is also being considered by UN refugee signatory countries like Germany. Meanwhile, critics have labelled conditions in Afghanistan as one of the world's gravest human rights crises. Rights groups say the regime's increasingly draconian policies targets women, journalists, and activists.

The government has reached a deal with the Coalition to pass amended laws aimed at reducing harm caused by gambling ads. Meanwhile, reform to the NDIS has hit a snag, with the Coalition making its support contingent on separate tax changes. One Nation has also floated a policy to cut the tobacco excise as a means of cracking down on the black market.

They say the internet is forever, but with so much shared online, the National Film and Sound Archives' job only gets harder. The government body is tasked with collecting and preserving all kinds of recorded sound and moving images. A new project is working to showcase the diversity of Australian creators on a modern online platform, and protect it for future generations.

Record annual sales, and rising annual profit have done nothing to stop the worst ever one-day plunge for JB HiFi. Investors showed their concern about Australia's consumer retail environment, after JB HiFi reported a slowdown in the fourth quarter, and in July sales. Rena Sarumpaet speaks to Luke McMillan, Head of Research at Ophir Asset Management.

Reform to the National Disability Insurance Scheme has been debated in the Senate, with the legislation expected to pass this week with Coalition support. The bill largely maintains cuts proposed by in the May budget, which forecast $37.8 billion in savings over four years, amid concern about spending growth. A range of critics have questioned whether state-based alternatives will be ready in time, and argued the proposed cuts will cause harm.

Australia's first confirmed death of a little penguin with H5 bird flu has been recorded on Victoria's Phillip Island. The detection comes as authorities begin a vaccination program targeting thousands of little penguins on the island and at St Kilda. Conservation teams say vaccination is only one part of the response, with habitat protection and biosecurity measures also being stepped up to help vulnerable wildlife withstand the virus

Aunty Pat Turner has been named Person of the Year at the 2026 National NAIDOC Awards in Mparntwe Alice Springs. First Nations leaders, artists and young achievers walked the Blak Carpet, as ten awards were presented recognising achievement across culture, community, education, sport and innovation. The ceremony also marked 50 years of NAIDOC recognition, celebrating generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement.

A funeral has been held for five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby- three-and-a-half months after she was found dead near Alice Springs. Her alleged abduction and murder sent shockwaves throughout the country, with her family today inviting Central Australia to come together to mourn and remember who she was.

From nine Serie A titles with Juventus to a European championship with Italy, Giorgio Chiellini built a reputation as one of football’s fiercest defenders. Now, the former captain is turning his attention to the business of the game.Giorgio Chiellini sat down with SBS World News reporter Christopher Tan to discuss how Italy’s Serie A can close the financial gap with the English Premier League, while growing the Italian game in Australia.

A new law in China requires parents to guide their children to love the Chinese Communist Party, schools to teach a government-approved version of Chinese history, and all citizens to refrain from doing anything the government deems not conducive to promoting a unified Chinese ethnicity. With the laws extending to critics abroad, minority ethnic groups like the Uyghurs and Tibetans say the laws codify and expand longstanding policies of forced assimilation and threaten to silence critics around the world.

The opening of a new mosque in the regional New South Wales town of Young is being celebrated by the Muslim community.

The recent rise of One Nation has put immigration, national security, and multiculturalism on the agenda, but experts say decades-old dynamics are playing out. Liberal leader Angus Taylor has ruled out a formal coalition with the right-wing party, but the possibility of preference deals persists, along with accusations from One Nation that the Coalition is copying their policies. It highlights One Nation's political ambitions, and what the party's ascendance could mean at the next election

Much of the world's attention moved on after the 2021 fall of Kabul. But for Afghan women, the crisis has deepened under the Taliban regime Five years on, advocates are calling for recognition of gender apartheid under international law.

Australia’s PM is in hot water over his comments about a gift from his Japanese counterpart, North Korea rides to Russia’s rescue and will Netanyahu’s rejection of Trump’s Gaza plan come back to bite him? Plus, AI runs amok while the world struggles to control it. and Dobby the house elf stops a power project.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has condemned what he calls "Israeli terrorists" , referring to a group of settlers who have trapped three Palestinian families in their homes in the West Bank village of Qusra. The Israeli military says it has deployed soldiers to the area to protect residents and maintain security, with instructions that the families under siege remain in their homes.

It’s been almost five years since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan after US troops withdrew from the country. In the years since, Afghanistan has faced a deepening hunger crisis and human rights advocates are pressing the Australian Government to recognise gender apartheid under international law. SBS Pashto’s Mujeeb Muneeb speaks to Anne Aly, the Minister for International Development and Multicultural Affairs about Australia’s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

For a few extraordinary minutes, day turned to night across parts of the world, as the Moon passed between the Earth and the Sun. For those beneath its shadow, the eclipse was not just a spectacle, but a reminder of how small we are in a much bigger universe.

New South Wales and the Commonwealth Government have agreed to provide a $2.5 billion bail out for the Tomago Aluminium Smelter over ten years. The smelter consumes around 10 per cent of power supplies in New South Wales, and had been facing closure due to rising energy costs.New South Wales and the Commonwealth Government have agreed to provide a $2.5 billion bail out for the Tomago Aluminium Smelter over ten years.The smelter consumes around 10 per cent of power supplies in New South Wales, and had been facing closure due to rising energy costs.Energy Minister Chris Bowen says the bail out will support new renewable generation, and enhance the security of the state's grid.Tomago Aluminium has agreed to invest an additional $1.1 billion.

Australia's biggest home lender, Commonwealth Bank, has beaten forecasts with a near $11 billion dollar annual profit. At the same time it warns of how cost-of-living pressures, a slowing Australian economy and global uncertainties are starting to show up in its loan book. Stephanie Youssef speaks to Francesco De Stradis, Investment Advisor at Ord Minnett.

The 2026 Census is over and a record number of Australians completed the survey online. While millions completed the form early, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says anyone yet to do the survey will be followed up this week.

As the housing crisis continues, family and domestic violence is the main reason women and children leave their homes and become homeless. The government is investing $308 million in housing solutions to help them escape, but critics say more needs to be done. It comes as the Second Action Plan to end domestic, family and sexual violence is being developed, in collaboration with a sector under significant strain.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy has accused Russia of using North Korean missiles in an attack that killed at least seven people. The President also says he has handed a new proposal to US negotiators for a plan to end the war. It follows the Russian Supreme Court's move to bar the country's only officially-registered anti-war party, and as Ukrainian detainees accuse Russia of systematically torturing prisoners of war.

Home borrowers are breathing another sigh of relief, as the Reserve Bank leaves the cash rate at 4.35% for a second consecutive meeting. But a hawkish RBA Governor Michele Bullock makes no bones about the Board's willingness to hike again, to control "still too high" inflation. Rena Sarumpaet speaks to Ebury economist Anthony Malouf. Then Stephanie Youssef gets the views of MIke Jenneke of UBS Global Wealth Management.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has met with Vietnam’s president Tô Lâm in Canberra, where they agreed to deepen economic cooperation. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to rules based multilateral trading amid uncertainty caused by rising protectionism and conflict overseas. Critics have called on the Australian government to press Vietnam on its domestic laws, which have been criticised by human rights groups.

Rescue crews are racing to find survivors, after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia. Officials say at least 111 people have been killed across the country, and with more than 1,600 buildings damaged or destroyed, there are fears many are still trapped under the rubble.

A jolt for banking investors, as Westpac flagged a 20-percent drop in Q3 mortgage applications, blaming the combined effects of three interest rate rises this year, and Federal Budget tax changes. Westpac shares slid nearly 6 per cent. David Scutt of StoneX Group tells Rena Sarumpaet, that should CBA offer similar disappointment in Wednesday's annual result, the best days of the month long banking rally may be past.

Disability advocates are urging the government to reconsider changes to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, ahead of a looming parliamentary vote on the proposed reforms. Aimed at cracking down on fraud and spending, the Federal Government's proposed reforms will slash NDIS spending and participation, which advocates warn could have significant consequences.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point Gaza Peace Plan, saying the Israeli military will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed. And in Iran, Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it won't reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States meets Tehran's demands.

The diamond industry is facing an identity crisis. Natural diamond prices have tumbled as lab-grown diamonds surge in popularity. Physically and optically identical, they can cost around a tenth as much and can now be produced at mass scale. Their rise is challenging one of the world's most successful marketing stories.

Have you ever thought about how much it costs to run a small business? New research shows the cost has risen by almost 25 per cent since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and it's expected to keep increasing, topping out at 27-per cent by year's end. It comes as a surprise lift in household spending in June complicates the outlook for interest rates, ahead of the Reserve Bank's meeting next week. Reporter Natalie Poyhonen spoke to Sydney cafe owner Gerardo Barios, who serves up coffee grown from his homeland Honduras. He starts by explaining the biggest costs to his business in the last 12 months or so.

A chunk of a SpaceX rocket hurtled into the moon this week, putting renewed attention on the issue of space junk. Alan Duffy is an astronomer at Swinburne University of Technology. He told SBS Reporter Josie Harvey that space is becoming dangerously crowded, and the increasing amount of debris could soon limit our capacity for space travel.

A widespread cyclosporiasis outbreak - which causes explosive diarrhoea - has grown into the largest on record in the United States and this week caused its first known deaths. Medical experts are warning that recent regulatory rollbacks have contributed to the infection's historic scale. The outbreak—now spanning at least nine states—has been sourced to iceberg lettuce from privately held Taylor Farms operations in central Mexico and served at Taco Bell restaurants. Cyclosporiasis, caused by an intestinal parasite, is generally not life-threatening, and the people who died had significant underlying health conditions that were exacerbated by severe dehydration. Gastroenterologist Dr Rabia De Latour is from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine and spoke to the Associated Press

The Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling to contain the world's fastest-growing Ebola outbreak, with aid workers warning the response is falling behind the virus. More than two months after the outbreak was declared, health officials are battling security concerns, frontline workers remain unpaid, and there are fears the disease could spread into new communities.

Myanmar’s junta finally provides signs of life for its former leader Aung San Suu Kyi - but why now and what does it all mean for the ongoing civil war? Plus, Ceuta’s border crisis reignites immigration divisions in Europe. And, how a US hiker who got himself into – and out of – a sticky situation.

Ongoing hopes of a US-Iran deal to re-open the Strait of Hormuz have sent the ASX to a second consecutive closing high. The S&P/ASX 200 added 43.8 points, or 0.5%, for a close of 9271.6. Rena Sarumpaet spoke to Hugh Lam, Investment Strategist at Betashares, on a corporate reporting season just heating up, and broader market gains.

The government is under pressure to go further to limit gambling harms, after its legislation failed to find backing from the Coalition, crossbench or Greens. This week, a Senate inquiry heard bombshell claims that reignited debate on the issue ahead of parliament's return from the mid-winter break. Several key issues remain unresolved, including inducements offered to problem gamblers, and calls for a national regulator.

As climate change causes large parts of the northern hemisphere to experience high heat and raging wildfires, forecasters are warning it is a preview of what is to come for Australia. A very strong El Nino system is in play for the first time in a decade - and it's combining with other weather patterns to present a steamy forecast for spring and summer in the Asia Pacific.

Negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz appear to be gaining momentum, with Iran saying talks with neighbouring Oman are nearing completion. But while diplomats discuss shipping routes, Israel and Iran remain deeply divided over Tehran's nuclear programme, and fighting in southern Lebanon continues despite ceasefire efforts.

The Australian sharemarket has closed at a new record high, amid hopes for an imminent re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Rena Sarumpaet spoke to Jun Bei Liu, founder and portfolio manager of Ten Cap Investment Management. She'd had a close eye especially on US corporate reports - none more fascinating than Elon Musk's Spacex, which reported its first quarterly earnings as a public company. Overall, it saw a half a billion US dollar loss, around half that of the same period last year. But revenue nearly doubled to nearly US $8 billion - although the big price tag for growth was capital expenditure - jumping fivefold to US$ 18 Billion.

The European Union's migration chief is commending Spain's handling of the Cueta crisis. This, after reignited debate over the bloc's migration policy - following the mass crossing of migrants from Morocco into Spain's north African city last week. Spanish authorities say around 72,000 people crossed to Cueta, with 70,000 since returned to Morocco. But calls for tougher action against migrant smuggling networks remain.

The flu season is upon us. So if we think we might have come down with some kind of respiratory virus, what should we do? For the best advice, SBS reporter Cameron Carr spoke to Professor Paul Griffin from the University of Queensland School of Medicine

Authorities are investigating an alleged terror attack on the outskirts of Melbourne, at Lovitt Technologies, which produces parts for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets. Australia's involvement in the global F-35 supply chain has been criticised in recent years because the US-made fighter jets have been used by Israel for attacks on Gaza. Law enforcement agencies allege the attackers have expressed support for Palestine, and targeted the facility due to its links in defence supply chains. They say the attack may have been motivated by anarchist and revolutionary ideology.

Researchers at Domain say the profit boom of the past decade is starting to show early signs of weakness. Stephanie Youssef spoke to Domain's Chief of Economics and Reserch, Nicola Powell. Meanwhile, the ASX closed at its highest level since March, surging 1.4%, after a healthy rally on Wall Street. US President Donald Trump's comments - that negotiations to end the Iran war and open the Strait of Hormuz had resumed - triggered a heavy bout of risk-on sentiment. Clive Maguchu, senior strategist with State Street Investment Management, spoke to Rena Sarumpaet.

On August 11, every household in Australia will be required to take part in the Census. In the lead up to Census night, SBS answers the key questions about when, why, and how the national survey is conducted.